The child labor scandal that is engulfing The Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) is tragic. An investigative reporter in India documented evidence of young children working in abominable conditions to make Gap Kids clothing.But if there's any silver lining here, it's the sensitive, professional way that Gap has dealt with the controversy. The company admitted it may have unknowingly used child labor, and according to Gap North America President Martha Hansen, "This is completely unacceptable and we do not ever, ever condone any child laborer making our garments. We act swiftly, and quite honestly, I'm very grateful that this was brought to our attention." (emphasis added)
So the company is dealing with a media firestorm resulting from a report put out by an investigative reporter and the company is thanking the reporter. This story had the potential to be a huge problem for Gap but they appear dedicated to fixing it, and the class with which they're handling it should help the company.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-30-2007 @ 1:43AM
gene said...
...if only The Gap could make some clothes different from what they were pushing in 1983. Maybe they should be hiring child labor to work on the design staff and make the current management team work in the sweatshops. It certainly couldn't hunt.
reidallas
10-30-2007 @ 2:53PM
LaborRights said...
For more information about what you can do to stop sweatshops and child labor abuses around the world, check out http://www.LaborRights.org! Plus, check out the “Labor is Not a Commodity” blog for updates on the latest news on GAP’s labor rights abuses and similar issues: http://laborrightsblog.typepad.com/
The International Labor Rights Forum and Global Exchange put out a statement on the GAP issue here: http://www.laborrights.org/press/sweatshops/GAPchildlabor_ilrfpr_102907.pdf
10-30-2007 @ 5:22PM
SyrGuy68 said...
Well, I am an employee of Gap Inc. (not Gap - another brand), and as an Asst. Store Manager, I can only applaud the way our corporate headquarters dealt with this issue. We are one of the top companies in the clothing/retail market for social responsibility when it comes to child labor. In 2006-07 alone, the company withdrew contracts and stopped clothing production on 30 factories who violated the company's policy on child labor.
How many other clothing companies did this?
Also, the company has vowed to destroy any of the merchandise made by these children. Not at the expense of the consumer, but at the expense of the vendor and sub-contractor.
I say WAY TO GO!! Let's the lead way to other clothing retailers to follow suit!
11-12-2007 @ 5:59AM
sadashivan said...
Gap or Wal-mart or any other and even an exporter who supplies would not know the involvement of child labor in stitching garments, as is hidden practice and media takes advantage for its publicity. Media does not care the reasons or does not wish to highlight reasons and issues of child labor. Shame on such Media or organizations those do not highlight solutions to child labor eradication rather expose for own advantage. http://www.sadashivan.com/ Number of child prostitution and street children are increasing each day, each month and each year. Arresting child labor in factories in several countries have opened numerous fields for young children to opt alternate ways of sourcing money. New fields like pornography, sex tourism, plastic items, plastic bags and garbage collection, begging in streets, pick pocketing. check video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u80UpcatrGI